Footwear



"F. A. JOSEPH, I FOOTWEAR. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, I919.

Patented June 28, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Frank A. Jos eph.

his atfo'l nfgf.

UNITED S exact description.

ANT: A. JOSEPH, OFNAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB To L. GANDEE a. COMPANY, A CORPORATION or CONNECTICUT.

FOOTWEAR.

To all whomm't concern: I

Be it known that L'FRANK A. JOSEPH,

'a. citizen of the United States, residing at :Naugatuck,county of New Haven, and State 'of Connecticut; have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Footwear, of

whichthe followingis a full, clear, and

This invention relates to rubber or other waterproof footwear and more particularly to what are known in the trade as bootees and walrus, having foldable :or expansible portions in their uppers. Heretofore in the manufacture of this kind of footwear the lining cut to shape was firstapplied .to the last and then the iguarters and gusset pieces were applied. fter the complete assemblage of the shoe and its vulcanization, and in order to strip the boot from the last, the lining had to be out a considerable distance at each side from the "upper edge downwardv and forward, .to where the gusset disa'ppears or blends into the quarters. These two outs, One'on each side of the s'hoeand in the lining only, were extremely difficult 'to make after the vuleanization of the shoe.and while it wasv still on the last. v Sometimes the cutting tool was inadvertently projected through the superimposed quarters. 'And while it was absolutely necessary to cut the lining to remove the bootee from the last, it left a weak place at the bottom or disappearing point of the gusset; Furthermore the edges of the lining had to be subsequently trimmed to make the article neat enough to satisfy the demands ofthe' trade and even after trimming -a ridge was left on each side of the pocket or gusset. V g "f The present invention aims to improve the construction of rubber footwear having foldabl'e orexpansible portions known as pockets or gussets. "It seeks to' avoid the weak apex inthe old'gusset construction, to eliminate the flanking ridges or seams, and thereby' to improve both the appearance and the durability ofithe article.

Gusseted footwear according to the present invention has an "inner lining in one or more sections which is continuous andun broken at and adjacent the fold lines in the upper z'i el, those linesintermediate and at one edge of each of the gusset halves 7 and,

8 where 'flexure occurs'in putting the article on ones foot. The lining is also without a.

break in its continuity at the point where these welldefined fold lines disappear and blend into the upper intermediate its top and bottom, or in other words, at the apex of the fold. 'In the manufacture of the ar.

fore vulcanization the gussets are temporarlly secured in the'folded condition de- "sired in the finished articles.

Then the shoes are vulcanized. After vulcanization the gussets are freed or released and the article is removed from the last' without any difliculty and without seam or break in "the lining at the fold lines of the gussets and in the quarters or lines superimposed over the gusset folds when the shoe is in use.

These are the objects of the present invention and. other objects thereof will appear in the description of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accom panying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a substantially complete upper as it appears fromthe interior when flattened out and shows the superimposed relation of the inner lining, interlining, quarters, and gusset halves, the

. plies Ofone side being stripped back to show their relative positions. Y Y I Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section through a completed shoe midway the length of the gussets.

-Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a shoe'partly in vertical section.

' Fig. 4 is a perspective showing how the gusset is temporarily strapped to the last in a folded condition. I

. The.drawing shows apreferred embodiment of the invention calculated to; meet present demands of the trade. In the prefered embodiment the lining is made in sections 1 and 2 which are lapped and seamed at the front and rear median lines of the finished article. Quarters 3 and 4, preferably Es PATENT OFFICE Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented J n 28 1921. Application filed November 26, 1919. Serial No. 340,939.- I

but not necessarily provided with reinforcing interliningsb and 6 are joined to gusset halves 7 and 8 to form fastening flies 9and which may be eyeleted as shown to V and a counter 23 are then assembled on the receive laces or which may have buckles or other fastening devices applied thereto. A toe lining (not shown), vamp 12, front stay 13, tap sole 14 and heel 15 with a few other part ,iQfi well-known form complete the make-up of the shoe.

The parts are assembled in the following manner: The lining sections are first cut to shape and notched or otherwise markedat the points 16, 17 18. and 19' to indicate where adhesive tabs 20, 21 are to be attached and the gussets folded in a subsequent operation. The rear edges of the lining sections 1 and 21 'arenlap seamedtogether as indicated at 22. The quarters 3.et with interlinings 5-6 inner lining 1-2 together with the gusset half sections. 7-8, the gusset halves being of the inner lining may be lapped directly on each other asshown at21 Fig. 2, andthe front edges of the gusset. halves may be seamed together'ifn'abutting or lapped relation. This serves to break the several joints and to give strength, at the front median line. of the up- 7 per which may be further strengthened and 1a finished appearance i-mparted'by applying, H a, front reinforcing stay 13. i

Friction tabs 20 21 and 25. are located between the lining and the outer wear portions of the up er. Thisispreferably done after seamingt e lining sections 1 and 2 together atthe rear but it may be done at any convenient time. The tabs, are preferably of the; short length shown so, as not to interfere with manipulation in the assemblage of parts but they may be'made longer if desired.

7 If theftabs are made short as shown other pieces of frictiontape are adhered to them and so leng fined the tabs are drawn tight about the last, tab 25 at the rear center being pulled diametrically over the top-of the last 26 and adhered to the frontmedian line of the gusset while tabs 20 and 21 are pulledback wardly aroundthe, sidesof the last and adlhered to thetab 25. adjacent itsjunction with the l ning at therear. In this way each gusset is held. folded during vulcanization in Ithe, condition desired in thefinished articles,

vulcanization of course effecting a. more or ,less iermanentsetor fixation of the goods;

n thefootwear has. been completely assembled, that is" when the tap. solefoxings and other component parts have, been put tog llelj I 'thel'last. and the various: seams than two pieces; but:

rolled or stitched together, the articles are vulcanized in any suitable manner.

After the articles have been" vulcanized and are practically ready for the market the operator has merely to break thetabs toremove the shoe from thelast, the tabs being trimmed or broken off readily when convenient.

By reason of the continuous one-piece lining atand adjacent the fold lines inathe expansibleportion of the upper great strength is imparted to the api'c'es of the foldable portions of each gusset where, in removing the vulcanized article from the last or indonning or dofling footwear in use, the, article is subjected to great strain, The continuity of the lining sections. throughoutv the quar- 1 ters as well as at the lines of foldjin the gusset also insures comfort in wear; aud enha'nces the appearance of the article, and continuity of the lining alsoavoids the weak and lumpy seams ofprior footwear ofthe same type. The tedious, difi ijcult, unsatisfactory and ruinous operation of cutting a continuous lining of exactly the samelength from front, to back as the last according to 'the inated. The necessity of trimming the first prior practice has been avoidedv and elimout, which was necessarily ragged, so, as to V finish the seam neatly has also been avoided. The foregoing relatesto a construction be distinctly understood that; the- .-"iI1V tion is not limited to described details thereof. The inner lining; for instance could be -made. in one iecefor; in more as waste in cutting and additionaloperations these. alternatives. are not at present. deemed desirable. The particularformof the upper is also immaterial.- Instead; oftwo; quarof footwear which I prefer but it is to.

or reasons" such 7 ters with attached half gussets'it might be 7 possible to form the outer wear portions of the upper complete in one piece but this I do not deem desirable Other changesmight be made-without departing from the principle of the present invention, which broadly as understood is thought to reside the continuous or one-piece construction; of the lining at and on both. sides of thefold lines in the gusset or upper and in the. idea -.of

temporarily holding the, gussets. folded dur- 7 mg the vulcanization of the, article andpreferably also during the assemble eof the: toe

lining and vamp. on the. "comp eted upper, a te the upper ha bee positioned on the last;

' Having thus described my invention, what it I claim and desire to. ent is protect by Letters. Pat- 1. Rubber footwear having quarters, a

gusset, and a pair of fabric sections eaeh formlng a one-piece lining for substantially all of a quarter and part of the gusset whereby the interior of the article 1% IFQQdQ IQd.

smooth, comfortable and neat in appear- 'tion in its upper and havin v ance.

said upper having a lining continuous and unbroken at and adjacent the fold lines throu hout their extent.

4.. 11 article of footwear having an upper whose total girth exceeds the size leg which it is adaptedto encircle and has at least two welldefined fold lines converging downwardly anddisappearing intermediate the top and bottom of the upper thereby to permit neat folding of the upper about the le said upper having a lining continuous an unbroken at the re on where the fold lines disappear.

Signe at Naugatuck, Connecticut, this 22nd day of November, 1919.

FRANK A. JOSEPH. 

